From Sacred Texts to Secular Acts of Diversity and Inclusion by Jonathan
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Moving the Church Toward Reconciliation: From Sacred Texts to Secular Acts of Diversity and Inclusion by Jonathan Cunningham Augustine, JD, MDiv. Date: March 17, 2020 Approved: __________________________________ L. Gregory Jones, PhD, Supervisor ______________________________________ Kimberly D. Hewitt, JD, Second Reader ________________________________________ Bishop Willimon H. Willimon, DMin Director Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in the Divinity School of Duke University 2020 i ABSTRACT Moving the Church Toward Reconciliation: From Sacred Texts to Secular Acts of Diversity and Inclusion by Jonathan Cunningham Augustine, JD, MDiv. Date: March 17, 2020 Approved: _____________________________________ L. Gregory Jones, PhD, Supervisor ______________________________________ Kimberly D. Hewitt, JD, Second Reader ________________________________________ Bishop Willimon H. Willimon, DMin Director An abstract submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in the Divinity School of Duke University 2020 ii Copyright © by Jonathan C. Augustine 2020 iii ABSTRACT Reconciliation is one of the few terms having widespread usage in the American lexicon, after originating in the biblical canon. Although popularly used to denote parties giving up their enmity and finding commonality, reconciliation’s meaning is much deeper. In the succeeding five chapters, I move from reconciliation’s theological use in sacred biblical texts, to its practical application, through diversity and inclusion principals, specifically exploring three usages of the term. I contextualize reconciliation as salvific, social, and civil. The first two usages, salvific and social, are Christocentric. The third, however, civil, is primarily secular. Salvific reconciliation is the most Christocentric of the three usages. It denotes humanity being reconciled in its relationship with God through Jesus. Stated otherwise, it means Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead so humanity could receive the unmerited gift of eternal life. Argument can indeed be made that the heart of Christian theology embraces salvific reconciliation as its most fundamental tenant. Social reconciliation, a close companion of civil reconciliation, is the focus of chapter 2. In addition to the fact that Jesus died, Jesus also lived. In relying on Peter’s leadership and Paul’s theology, I contextualize social reconciliation by exploring select portions Matthew, the Book of Acts, and the Pauline corpus to argue that regardless of race, ethnicity, social standing, class or gender, once one is baptized into the church, (s)he has equal social standing within the body of Christ. Stated otherwise, whereas salvific reconciliation denotes humanity being reconciled in its relationship with God, through Jesus, social reconciliation means humans are reconciled with one another because of Jesus. Inasmuch as salvific and social reconciliation are Christocentric, chapter 3 contextualizes civil reconciliation, an ethic that is primarily secular. As a direct derivative of social reconciliation, iv civil reconciliation embraces an egalitarian-like ethic that motivates both clergy and laity to act with prophetic resistance in challenging unjust governmental practices by seeking legal redress and equal standing. The best contextualization of civil reconciliation was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s prophetic leadership in bringing the black church into the secular politics of the Civil Rights Movement. I argue civil reconciliation was successful, especially from an empirical perspective, as measured by the gains of diversity and inclusion associated with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the institution of affirmative action. Insofar as the old cliché is true that “every action has a reaction,” chapter 4’s focus is the reaction to civil reconciliation’s success, a fusion of white evangelical Christians becoming openly aligned with conservative, Republican Party politics. That fusion, initiated by Richard Nixon’s southern strategy in the late 1960s and solidified under Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, also eventually led to the political extremity of Donald Trump’s 2016 “Make America Great Again,” a narrative that is the anthesis of reconciliation. Trump’s well-documented extremity has publicly revealed factions within evangelicalism that present opportunities to align conservative and more progressive Christians on matters that will strengthen the church universal, through diversity and inclusion principals that are consistent with the inclusiveness God progressively established in scripture. Accordingly, as a conclusion, chapter 5 asks the proverbial question, “Where Do We Go From Here?” I suggest that if the church can successfully move toward reconciliation, through diversity and inclusion practices that are consistent with God’s intention, as evidenced through scripture, the church can also be an exemplar for society-at-large to move toward reconciliation, too. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DEDICATION There are so many individuals and institutions to whom I owe sincere thanks! Although this culminating written work is the product of my individual labor, it results from an academic, ecclesial, social, and familial support system that has encouraged and nurtured me in ways beyond my capacity of written expression. It is to them I am immeasurably thankful!!! I entered Duke University’s Doctor of Ministry program in August 2017, after ably preparing for my cohort’s first residential intensive on Duke’s beautiful campus. As someone deeply grounded in the Christian faith, I was especially grateful our intensive began with an intimate worship experience at Duke Chapel. In standing at the chapel’s main entrance, I was drawn-in by its architectural design and ornate stone carvings depicting significant figures of influence in the history of both the church and American South. One carving was of Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederate Army. In what seemed like only hours after our first residential intensive began, an undercurrent of divisiveness—largely centered around race—once again enveloped the United States. It was only three months earlier, in May 2017, while serving as the national chaplain of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and senior pastor of New Orleans’ Historic St. James AME Church, I led the fraternity in an organized prayer vigil to remove Confederate monuments from public view. Our nonviolent, prayerful efforts were successful in that, in a matter of days, the city’s mayor removed monuments of Jefferson Davis, P.G.T. Beauregard, and Robert E. Lee. By August 2017, however, the country’s temperament was not prayerful. It was violent. During my first residential intensive, a violent public protest broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia that resulted in serval deaths. As tensions centered around factions between white supremist Nazis and African American protestors, the president of the United States—often vi accused of being racist because of outlandish comments—stoked racial tensions by attributing fault to “both sides.” It was in the midst of this unfolding drama that I really began to understand the depths of inclusivity at Duke. President Vincent Price, who became the university’s 10th president only one month before, took the bold leadership position of having the Robert E. Lee statute removed from the chapel’s entrance. Price’s leadership was bold and also reassuring. It reassured me, as an African American male, that I was welcome at an institution that would shape my thinking and public proclamation of inclusivity. I am therefore thankful to be a part of Duke’s family. From an institutional perspective, I am also thankful to the two congregations that supported my matriculation, Historic St. James and St. Joseph AME Church in Durham. After serving two other congregations in the Louisiana Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr. assigning me, a young pastor, to a very historic congregation. Historic St. James was founded in 1844 and is the first AME congregation established in the Deep South. Whereas Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina (site of the horrific June 2015 church massacre) was established in 1816 as the denomination’s first congregation in the South, Historic St. James was founded in 1844, in New Orleans, as the denomination’s first congregation in the Deep South. When my predecessor retired, there was no shortage of capable ministers who desired to succeed him. To my surprise, Bishop McAllister appointed me. I am extremely thankful to Historic St. James for the way she received me and supported my ministry. We loved each other and worked together to make tremendous progress in rebuilding and rebranding the oldest predominately black, Protestant church in New Orleans. When I was originally assigned in 2015, worship was still held in the adjacent fellowship hall because of damage resulting from Hurricane Katrina, 10-years prior vii to my appointment. For four years, God blessed our work. We completely renovated the church edifice, developed new ministries, and attracted many new members. From 2017 to 2019, the congregation’s Board of Stewards, under Dr. Lindsey Moore’s leadership, supported my studies at Duke because they believed in the value of continued education. I am thankful to have served Historic St. James. Immediately after completing classes and beginning the yearlong research and writing that culminates with this work,